Calgary's New Hockey Arena Debate on Again

I read in the paper this morning that the Calgary Flames organization have cranked up the heat on the "New Hockey Palace For Calgary" debate, again. 

The way I read it, the NHL owners are almost demanding that Calgary, the Flames, and the province fork out a huge amount of money (probably around $750 million dollars)  to build this thing like the one in Edmonton, which is under construction as we speak.  I think that's ridiculous!  

The Scotiabank Saddledome is older than almost all the other NHL buildings, so I guess they want it demolished and a new arena built somewhere else. 

But the 'Dome just had a major multi-million dollar facelift, thanks to last year's flood damage!  It's seating capacity is about equal to all other NHL arenas!   True there is only 6 000 seats in the lower bowl and other arenas have 9 000 or more seats there.  But who will benefit the most from having those extra 3000+ seats in the lower bowl?

I don't think the Saddledome is an embarassment to Calgary!  If the Flames think it is, then they should gather a few of the NHL Billionaires and Millionaires together and pass the hat!  Those folks have the bucks; Alberta's taxpayers do not! 

If the City of Calgary wants to contribute to building a new "NHL Palace" in their city, that's their business!  I pay taxes in Alberta, and I'm saying the province should put its chequebook away on this one!  Just because they threw a bunch of money at Edmonton's new arena, doesn't mean they should do the same in Calgary!

No More Calgary Herald

I was saddened to get a letter from the Calgary Herald advising me that home delivery will end in Beiseker next month.  I've enjoyed reading that newspaper every morning (and before that; every afternoon) for more that fifty years.  I will miss it.

Yes, I've used the electronic version when I travel, but it's not the same.  I'm a 'techno-klutz,' so reading the paper on a computer monitor isn't comfortable for me! I guess I'm a critter of the past; a dinosaur.  I enjoy folding over the paper so it's easier to read, doing the Word Search and clipping the occasional article or comic strip.

Ah well, I guess that's progress.  Newspapers are going broke all over the world so it stands to reason that the Herald has to go with the flow.   Still it makes me sad that I won't have my paper to read each morning.

And think of the trees they're saving!